Exchange traded funds that invest in Brazil are among the top performers among single-country ETFs in 2012 thanks in part to a stronger real, although Brazilian stocks have paused for breath over the past week.
Many Brazil ETFs are enjoying gains of 20% or more so far this year.
Brazil is one of the four so-called BRIC nations, which also include Russia, India and China. [BRICs Lead Emerging Market ETFs]
In currency ETFs, WisdomTree Dreyfus Brazilian Real (NYSEArca: BZF) is up about 10% this year with the Brazilian real strengthening versus the U.S. dollar. Most Brazil equity ETFs don’t hedge their currency exposure to the real. [Currency ETF Chart of the Day: Brazil]
Technically, major ETFs that invest in Brazil’s stock market recently moved above their 200-day moving average. Investors can also choose from small-cap ETFs and sector funds for Brazil.
Brazil is the host country to the World Cup in 2014, and the Summer Olympics in 2016. [Brazil ETFs Gear Up for World Cup, Olympics]
Retail sales in Latin America’s biggest economy in December suggest Brazil may be rebounding from a third-quarter contraction, Bloomberg reported Tuesday. “Domestic demand is still quite robust, driven by a positive labor market,” Luciano Rostagno, chief strategist with Banco WestLB do Brasil SA, told Bloomberg. “This will keep inflation at a high level despite the falling trend we’re seeing.”
There are several ETFs that invest in Brazil, including:
- iShares MSCI Brazil (NYSEArca: EWZ)
- Market Vectors Brazil Small-Cap (NYSEArca: BRF)
- iShares MSCI Brazil Small Cap (NYSEArca: EWZS)
- Global X Brazil Mid Cap (NYSEArca: BRAZ)
- First Trust Brazil AlphaDEX (NYSEArca: FBZ)
- Db-X MSCI Brazil Currency-Hedged (NYSEArca: DBBR)
- ProShares Ultra MSCI Brazil (NYSEArca: UBR)
- Global X Financials (NYSEArca: BRAF)
- Global X Brazil Consumer (NYSEArca: BRAQ)
iShares MSCI Brazil
